Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, hosted the Secretary of State for the Environment, Theresa Villiers, in Rookhope, North West Durham.
They visited a peatland restoration project in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where work is underway to protect and maintain blanket bog, an internationally rare type of peatland that has been damaged over the past few decades by drainage. Richard and the Environment Secretary discussed the work being done to protect the North Pennines AONB and what can be done to restore the peatlands, as well as the scientific research that is being carried out there and what local landowners are doing to help out.
They also discussed the Agriculture Bill and long-term changes in payments to farmers – given the extensiveness of farming and rural areas in North West Durham, this is particularly relevant for Richard.
Commenting, Richard stated ‘Despite the absolutely freezing weather, it was such a pleasure to host the Environment Secretary in North West Durham and have the opportunity to show her the stunning natural landscapes we are so lucky to have near us. I was particularly glad to have the chance to talk about the Agriculture Bill and how it will affect my local farmers – it’s something that loads of my constituents have brought up to me and I want to ensure that farmers do not lose out going forward. I’ve spoken with quite a few of my constituents about their concerns to do with the Agriculture Bill and was able to discuss these concerns with the Environment Secretary in greater detail. I’ll be campaigning hard in Westminster to ensure our local environment is protected and maintained.’
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